Happy Sunday,

Tomorrow we have potentially very bad weather that is heading our direction.  Generally I say to watch for the local school closings,  but this won’t work for us tomorrow because the local schools are already closed for the holiday.

Unlike the schools, we don’t close for only wind chill.  However, it doesn’t take much snow in frigid wind chills to make the commute to WF and clearing snow at the properties dangerous.

Please watch for a text by 7:00 if we are experiencing a delay or close.  Keeping everyone safe is my highest priority!

Thanks,

Tami

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that every family signs up for text notification for immediate communication of important or emergency information (closings, etc.).

All weather related closings will be announced via the text service.

If local business and schools (especially South Bend and Mishawaka Schools) are CLOSED or DELAYED, please be on the lookout for a text communication.  I will always communicate no later than 7:00 a.m. if we are delayed/closed.  I will also try and confirm that we are “open” too, if there may be uncertainty.

Text this message: @weefr

To this number: 81010 (works like a traditional 10 digit phone number)

I am hoping for a mild winter where delaying or closing isn’t necessary.  We only close or delay (until 10:00 a.m.) when getting the staff to WF could be dangerous.  It is such a hard decision to make, but I always want to fall on the side of safety for all.

Thanks!

Tami

Sorry this notice didn’t make the blog earlier.  The weather looks like it should be a great day to go!

Already the weather delays for public schools started TODAY!  Yikes.  The families that have signed up for Remind 101 all received a text bright and early letting you know that we having a normal opening today.  (Sorry if it’s too early for some, but others have requested as early notification as possible since they start planning their day in the wee hours.)

If you haven’t already, please sign up for text notifications as ALL weather closings and delays will be relayed through this service this winter.

Text this message: @weefr

To this number: 81010 (works like a traditional 10 digit phone number)

Also, please make drop offs and picks ups quick when the weather is bad so that the “good” parking spots remain accessible to as many families as possible.

HERE’S OUR  WEATHER POLICY

Wee Friends recognizes that delays and closings are horribly inconvenient.  However, we balance that with the safety of getting our staff to work and being able to get the street, sidewalks and stairs cleared for our clients.  Here are some general guidelines:

• If the public schools are closed due to road conditions, plan on a MINIMUM of a 10:00 delayed opening.
• As a general rule, we DO NOT close or delay for temperature only public school closings since our children are not bussed.  However, it doesn’t take much snow combined with frigid temperatures to make clearing sidewalks dangerous for our staff in the early hours of the morning so a delay would make sense in those instances.
• I will announce delays/closings by 7:15 in the morning via our text service.
• A delay may turn into a close after 7:15, if I find that our staff cannot get in to work.  Please keep in mind, it is really hard to determine how the roads will be when it is still dark and clearing has not begun.

Sorry, I typed the wrong group in for this week’s farm and Friday’s field trip!  It is the older kids…Group A.

Tami

Please share with your friends that are looking for a high quality and loving early childhood program for their kids…

In mid-July, Wee Friends has space for 1 preschool aged child (age 2.5-4 yrs) & 2 toddlers (age 18 mos-2.5).

Last week, I read the article, Children and sleep – A Real Health Issue, and I wanted to share it on the blog today.  Maybe because it is May the 16th, it is 39 degrees out,  and it is drizzling rain AND I want to nap instead of doing real work.  So my compromise is sip my coffee while I  write about napping:)

The article was a very concise write up of what I have been reading about for years:  GOOD SLEEP IS CRITICAL FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN.  Lack of sleep is connected to being at high risk for obesity, chronic disease, developing ADHD, and it is detrimental to learning.  The author shares, “Up until age five, naps are an important part of healthy sleep habits. Research shows that young children learn best when they are able to nap during the day. The brain is active during sleep and helps to transfer information learned earlier in the day to a different part of the brain that controls long-term memory. The ability to focus and control behavior are affected if children do not get adequate sleep including a daytime nap.”  http://extension.psu.edu/youth/betterkidcare/news/2014/children-and-sleep-2013-a-real-health-issue

In another article, Daytime Naps Enhance Learning in Preschool Children, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130923155534.htm the author shares Rebecca Spencer’s research on napping preschoolers. Spencer is concerned because with the surge of information on the importance of early learning, the shift is to take naps away to make more time for learning.  However, she concludes that, “children should not only be given the opportunity, they should be encouraged to sleep by creating an environment which supports sleep.”  Her research conclusively showed that children were better able to remember what they had learned after an average nap of 77 minutes than without one.  Specifically, “While the children performed about the same immediately after learning in both the nap and wake conditions, the children performed significantly better when they napped both in the afternoon and the next day,” the authors summarize. “That means that when they miss a nap, the child cannot recover this benefit of sleep with their overnight sleep. It seems that there is an additional benefit of having the sleep occur in close proximity to the learning.”

Wee Friends offers a quiet environment conducive to good napping in both classrooms and our teachers value naps.  For the preschoolers we often get requests to discontinue napping and we do work with parents and respect their wishes.  However, I wanted to offer some research as to why we value the nap.   As always, ya’ll know I love to talk about this stuff.  So, I’d be happy to dialogue and brainstorm with any of you on how to ensure your child is getting enough rest during the day.

When you can’t figure out what to do, it’s time for a nap. ~Mason Cooley

Stay warm today!

Tami

Other links on sleep:

Your Guide To Healthy Sleep http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/yg_slp.htm

Napping Helps Children Retain Memory, Learn New Skills http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113116770/children-learn-more-retain-memories-with-naps-040914/#KctKWGROeTodObpC.99

From Learning in Infancy to Planning Ahead in Adulthood: Sleep’s Vital Role for Memory http://www.cogneurosociety.org/sleep_memory_cns2014/

Infant Sleep Research: Bedsharing, Self-Soothing, and Sleep Training http://scienceofmom.com/2012/03/09/infant-sleep-research-cosleeping-self-soothing-and-sleep-training/

Good Morning!  I wanted to let everyone know the next few weeks of fieldtrips that I have planned.

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that there is $5.00 per child fee farm trip fee that is donated to Prairie Winds Farm.  I will keep a list of trips and bill everyone at the end of the season.  If this creates a hardship for your family, please let me know and WF will cover the cost.  If anyone would like to make a larger donation to our farm, I would gladly accept it for them.

Wednesday, 5/14 leaving @ 9:45    Group A to Prairie Winds Farm

Wednesday, 5/21 leaving at 10:00   Group B to Prairie Winds Farm. Parents of the WWF younger children can join us with your child under 2 years.

Thursday, 5/22 leaving @ 8:15    Group A to Potato Creek Nature Center to explore their current interest in taxidermy.  WF is covering the fee for this one.  (Yes, it has to be this early in the morning.  I’m very grateful to the naturalist Tim Cordell for squeezing us in a full schedule so we can pursue this emergent curriculum.)

Here’s an article published in the Edible Michiana publication.  It’s has some fabulous pictures and it does a nice job explaining our farm’s dedication to sustainable farming.

http://onlinedigeditions.com/publication/?i=147230&p=32#%7B%22page%22:33,%22issue_id%22:147230%7D

I know it is April 1st, but this is no joke!  I wanted to share with everyone that yesterday Wee Friends received our first delivery from Purple Porch Coop of high quality organic produce that is locally grown whenever possible.  Every week we will now get a delivery from PPC!  I am so excited to be able to offer this to our program.

I have revised our Nutrition Philosophy to reflect the changes that we’ve made since I created that page on the blog.  Check it out!  https://weefriendskids.com/nutrition-philosophy/

Tami